Bass

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Straps

Chris mainly uses leather straps from Status Graphite these days, but has been seen using ones from Manson Guitar Works in the past - the same as Bellamy uses.

Simulation Theory

In the studio, Chris has been seen using a '73 Jazz Bass, a '77 Jazz Bass and Status basses. An Ampeg SVT-VR and Ashdown BTA 400 heads were also part of his studio setup. During a 2018 interview on Virgin Radio Italy, Matt mentioned Chris also used a Misa Kitara for Break It To Me in the studio.

When speaking to John Kennedy on Radio X, he mentioned that, as opposed to previous albums being recorded with a live rig (giving them a set tone when done tracking), they've mostly recorded Simulation Theory with clean bass going straight into the console, which gave them flexibility to manipulate the sound later in the DAW.

Studio

Chris recording Simulation Theory; Seen using an Ashdown BTA 400 with his '73 Fender Jazz Bass

Basses

Effects

Rack 1
Rack 2

Amps

Live

Chris's rack during the Simulation Theory World Tour
Chris's bass tech with gear used on the ST tour behind him

During the tour, he acquired a new black/maple fretboard Fender Jazz Bass, a new Black/Stealth 5-String and a custom LED-Strip Status bass.

Effects-wise, he added a Pigtronix Disnortion distortion/fuzz and the Eventide H9 Harmonizer, while the POG2, allthough not seen on pics before, has likely been on his board since the 2017 Amphitheatre Tour.

He also updated the two Skrydstrup MR10 loop switchers with the RJM Effect Gizmo loop switchers.

According to Chris's bass tech Jon Ashworth, the sound is based around the Markbass SD1200 heads running through the Markbass 1x15 cabinets and distortion is layered on top of that either through Kempers or through individual pedals, which are connected to RJM Switching Systems.

Basses

Rack 1
Rack 2

Cabinets

  • 2 Markbass 151 15" Cabinets

Other

North American Summer Amphitheatre Tour 2017

Basses

Drones

During the recording of Drones, Chris mainly used Status bass guitars, allthough a Rickenbacker and a Gibson Grabber were also spotted in the studio. He ran them through an Ampeg SVT-VR head for the clean channel and two Marshall DBS 7400s for distorted channels. Later, for the cover of New Kind of Kick, he likely used a Gretsch Thunder Jet, seen in the video, in the studio.

As for the Drones tour, Chris kept the bass setup the same as for The 2nd Law tour, with the 5-string Jazz Bass making a return for a couple of Assassin performances. The Chris Wolstenholme Status Graphite 5-String bass also made appearances for Assassin. Chris switched from Marshall to Markbass heads and Markbass cabinets for the Drones tour. The Kemper amps, added for the tour, serve for the two distortion/fuzz channels, one for Big Muff and another one for Animato. He also included an Empirical labs Distressor.

Studio

Studio bass rack while recording Drones

Basses

Effects

Rack 1
Rack 2
Amps
  • Ampeg SVT-VR
  • Markbass SD1200

Live

Basses

Effects (Tour - off-stage)

Live off-stage rack setup
Rack 1
Rack 2

Cabinets

  • 2x Markbass 115HR

The 2nd Law

Chris changed his setup, in comparison with that from The Resistance Tour, before recording The 2nd Law. By start of The 2nd Law tour he did again some changes.

Basses

Bass rack on tour
Studio Set-up

Effects (Tour)(off stage)

Rack 1

Rack 2

Control

Effects (tour)(on stage)


Effects (Studio)

Rack 1

  • ETA Systems EPD11 LVIEC-CE
  • TC Electronic G-Major 2
  • Line 6 Bass Pod XT Pro
  • Tech21 Sansamp PSA 1.1
  • Tech21 Sansamp PSA 1.1
  • Custom connector panel
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400

(While live, he’s being amplified through two SD1200 heads and four Standard 151HR cabinets) ( ? )

Top of the rack 1
  • Markbass MoMark SD800 into a Standard 104HF cabinet
  • Markbass SD1200 into a Classic 152 cabinet
  • Ampeg SVT-VR

Rack 2

  • ETA Systems EPD11 LVIEC-CE
  • Skrydstrup Bass Routing System
  • Shure UA845 Antenna /Power Distribution
  • Shure UR4D
  • Shure UR4D
  • Skrydstrup MR10
  • Skrydstrup MR10
  • Skrydstrup MR10
  • Electrix Filter Queen + Electrix EQ Killer
  • Paul Lenders Muse AC-Tool
  • Paul Lenders Muse DC-Tool
FX Tray 1
FX Tray 2
FX Tray 3
  • Homebrew Electronic Hematoma (repainted)
  • ZVex Mastotron
  • Electro-harmonix Octave Multiplexer (Perhaps)
  • Electro-harmonix Micro Qtron (Perhaps)
  • Akai Deep Impact Synth Bass SB-1 (Perhaps)
Top of the rack 2
  • Way Huge Aqua-Puss
  • Way Huge Green Rhino
  • Way Huge Fat Sandwich
  • Way Huge Swollen Pickle
  • Way Huge Angry Troll
  • Crowther Audio Prunes and Custard

Other gear (studio)

  • Aviom A-16II
  • Expression Pedal
  • A Designs REDDI Tube D.I.

The Resistance

Rack (Offstage)
Ampeg SVT-VR

For The Resistance era, Chris expanded his setup even more, especially in terms of bass and rack gear. This was also the first tour that Chris started using Status basses with the first one being the Status Original Series II.

Basses

Amps

  • 4x Marshall DBS 7400 Head
  • Line 6 Bass Pod XT Pro (Ampsimulation)
  • 2x Tech 21 Sansamp PSA1 (Ampsimulation)
  • Ampeg SVT-VR (only used in studio)
  • Ampeg SVT-410HE ( ? )
  • Ampeg SVT-15E ( ? )

Effects (off stage)

Rack 1

  • ETA Systems EPD11 LVIEC-CE
  • T.C Electronics G-Major/2
  • Line 6 Bass Pod XT Pro
  • Tech21 Sansamp PSA 1.1
  • Tech21 Sansamp PSA 1.1
  • Custom connector panel
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400
  • Marshall DBS 7400
Top of the rack 1
  • Electrix Filter Factory

Rack 2

  • ETA Systems EPD11 LVIEC-CE
  • Skrydstrup Bass Routing System
  • Shure UA845 Antenna /Power Distribution
  • Shure UR4D
  • Shure UR4D
  • Skrydstrup MR10
  • Skrydstrup MR10
  • Sound Sculpture (SS) Switchblade GL
  • Paul Lenders Muse AC-Tool
  • Paul Lenders Muse DC-Tool
FX Tray 1
FX Tray 2
FX Tray 3
  • Boss OC-2 Octave
  • Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron (Micro)
  • Akai Deep Impact SB-1 Bass Synth
  • HomeBrew Electronics (HBE) Hematoma
  • There is then a gap with 2 un-connected patch cables, possibly for the Boss DD-3

Cabinets

Stated in the Bass Guitar Magazine from 2009 as,

  • 1x Mills Acoustics 115B
  • 2x Mills Acoustics 410B

Both of these cabs are debatable, as in the DunlopTV interview Shane Goodwin says Chris uses two 215 cabs and one 115 cab.

The cabs actually used will more likely be,

There is the possibility of the use of some custom Mills cabs, however, there is no mention of Chris on the Mills website.

Control

Effects (on stage)

Black Holes and Revelations

Board

Not much is known about Chris' gear during the BH&R era as there were little to no pictures of his gear taken during the period, however it is known that Chris started using Fender Jazz Basses a lot more frequently. He also ditched the on-stage amps/cabs and started miking them backstage. Instead, he only opted for an on-stage subwoofer, so he could still feel the sub low end, and he also took away the MIDI foot pedal controller.

Based on some interviews, Chris added four more Marshall DBS 7400 heads to his setup, having eight in total.[1]

Basses

Amps

Absolution

Rack
Pedal Board
Pedal Board (Offstage)

For the Absolution tour, Chris moved all of his pedals and amps into the rack. Both him and Matt got into MIDI switching systems, with their techs switching the effects on or off; a system, which they still use, due to the complexity of effect use on albums.

Wolstenholme also got two more of the Marshall DBS 7400 bass amplifiers into the rig and he changed the unknown-brand foot pedal with a Roland PK-5 Dynamic Foot Pedal.

Basses

Rack (left)

Rack (right)

On-Stage Pedalboard

Off-Stage Pedalboard

Other

Origin of Symmetry

OoS Amps
OoS Pedalboard

During the OoS tour, Chris got his Marshall DBS 7400 Dynamic Bass System amplifiers and cabinets. He also got a Black Russian Big Muff Pi and a Human Gear Animato pedal, aswell as an Akai Deep Impact SB1 Bass Synth pedal. A lot of the gear he acquired during this era remains in his setup to this day.

Chris also acquired an unknown-brand MIDI organ foot pedal for use on Unintended so he could keep the low-end while playing the acoustic guitar.

Basses

Rack

Cabinets

Pedalboard

Showbiz

Showbiz pedalboard

Allthough amplifiers and basses remained the same, Chris used two effects setups during the Showbiz era; On some early gigs, he only used the Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion, plugged into the Pete Cornish Line Selector and running into the amps.

Wolstenholme equiped his basses with Elites 40-100 stainless steel strings.[2]

Basses

Amps

Pedalboard

References

  1. ↑ https://www.mixonline.com/live-sound/all-access-muse-367983
  2. ↑ 2002 Bass Guitar Magazine Interview

See also

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